Advertising is an Art, but Marketing is a Science

You may have recently read Rob Hahn's blog post, "The Need for More Effective Online Marketing by Real Estate Professionals... Nine Years Later," in which he revisits a white paper published by Cendant in 2004 about the need for more effective online marketing. What is interesting about the white paper is that it was published well before the Trulias and Zillows of the world ever launched, and provides considerable insight into what best practices for online marketing should include. Many of the ideas shared are still applicable in today's online marketplace.

In Cendant's (the former parent company of Realogy) white paper they suggested that real estate agents ask themselves the following when thinking about online marketing:

• Do my listings distinguish me from the competition online, and do they positively reflect on the attention to detail and level of service I seek to provide my clients?
• Is this online presentation compelling to me as a home buyer?
• Does the listing description tell me anything special about the home or is it simply a laundry list of details that looks like any other MLS listing?
• Are the elements of this listing so complete that it would motivate me to contact the agent to schedule an appointment to visit the home in person?

Almost ten years later, these questions are still relevant and important for brokers and agents to consider when presenting listings online. In recent articles, we've shared useful tips on how to maximize your online marketing and provide quality content online by simply re-thinking how you use the MLS. Since the information you enter in the MLS is the source of the marketing content that is ultimately displayed to consumers, shouldn't we invest time and thought into what we enter here? Of course!